Is there an official upper limit for somatic cells in cow's milk production in Australia?

Last updated 31/01/2025

Australian milk is strictly monitored through routine testing for the concentration of somatic cells – usually called bulk milk cell count (BMCC). BMCC is measured during every milk tanker pick up from dairy farms across the country.

In Australia, the limit generally used for dairy milk is a BMCC of 400,000 cells/ml. While this limit is acceptable, a performance target of less than 250,000 cells/ml is considered good and below 150,000 cells/ml is excellent. Recipients of Dairy Australia’s Milk Quality Awards usually have a BMCC of below 90,000 cell/ml but the exact figure varies each year.

All safe and nutritious milk sold in Australia has an acceptable BMCC when leaving the farm, and undergoes further process control (through pasteurisation, cooling, pH and water activity), before then being packaged and sold.

Through its Countdown program, Dairy Australia recommends acceptable levels for BMCC, which are recognised across the industry as best practice. Dairy Australia’s recommended BMCC levels are noted by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ)’s Compendium of Microbiological Criteria for Food, which is enforced by the dairy food safety regulators in each state and monitored by processors.

For more information, check out Dairy Australia’s Countdown resources at dairyaustralia.com.au/mastitis